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W. GORLISS. v SAFE BOLT WORK. No. 261,532. r I Patented July .25, 1882.

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. SAFEBOLT WORK. I N0. 261,532. Patented July 25, 1882.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM OORLISS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SAFE BOLT-WORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 261,532, dated July 25,1882.

Application filed May 7, 1879. Renewed December 30, 1881. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GouLIss, of

the city and county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements relating to Safes; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionthereof.

1 have in my experiments applied the invention successfully to thespherical form of safe and spherical door described in my patent datedMarch 25, 1873.

The improvement lies in the provisions for securing and liberating thedoor. I can use any efficient lock operated in any suitable way. Theimproved mechanism intervenes between the lock and a bolt or stoutexpanding ring or locking-ring, which, when expanded, engages the doorwith thebody of the safe around nearly its whole periphery. I providethree operatingshafts carefully guarded against 'being'driven in, theholes therefor drilled out The other moves the door bodily inward oroutward to make and break the contact of the door with the frame or mainshell, it being understood that in my form of safe, which I considerpreferable,the door is made to move backward and forward for the purposeof engaging and disengaging its exterior edges with the main walls ofthe sale adjacent to the door, in addition to a movement of rotationwithin the safe. A third shaft, which may be much smaller, performs thesingle function of confining and releasing the other shafts by thrustingin to them or withdrawing therefrom transverse bolts. This slight shaftlies between the others. Under certain conditions of the lock turningthis central shaft in one direction thrusts the transverse bolts intorecesses in the main shafts and confines them, while under the sameconditions of the lock turning it in the opposite direction withdrawsthese bolts and sets the main shafts at liberty. The lock M determineswhether this (the middle shaft) can or cannot perform these functions.When the safeis locked and the owner has gone away with the key or withthe required knowledge of the combination, the central shaft standsdisconnected, and may be turned indefinitely in either direction withoutproducing any effect. I prefer, for safety against accident, to use twodifferent locks, each capable of effectin g the unlocking. When eitherlock is properly operated to unlock the safe the movement throws thesmall shaft into gear. It is only when thus conditioned that the centerspindle can produce the'efiect of withdrawing the cross-bolts, and thusliberating the large shafts.

I have provided an efficient means for preventing the operating ofcertain parts except when others are in certain conditions, which willbe described farther on.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means ofcarrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a vertical section through that part of the door to whichthe lock and operat--- ing mechanism are attached. The remaining figuresshow certain portions detached. Fig. 2 shows a central longitudinalsection through the small shaft and its gear and clutch, which operateswhat 1 term the locking mechan- Similar letters of reference indicatelike parts in all the figures.

A is the body, and B the door, of my spherical safe. 1) is mylocking-ring, and E F G the mechanism by which the ring D is by onemovement contracted or drawn inward to liberate the door and by anothermovement thrown outward to strongly engage the door with the body. Thereis a stout revolving frame to eflicientlysnpport the door, and allow it,with the shelves and other contents of the safe, to be turned around inthe opening and closing movement of the door.

G is a stout shaft, which penetrates the door. When this shaft G is freeand is properly turned it contracts the locking-ring D and allows thedoor to be thrown back.

I is the other stout shaft, which penetrates the door, and which, whenat liberty and properly turned, gives the door the inward movement toset it free from its previous firm contact with the interior of thebody, and puts it in condition to be swung around for the openingmovement, as set forth in my patent of 1873, above referred to.

A transverse screw-bolt, g, having a square head, is arranged to engageby its point in a proper hole formed in the side of the shaft G, and toconfine it rigidly when desired. Acorresponding transverse screw-bolt,t, having a square head, is arranged to engage by its point in a hole inthe side of the shaft I and confine it when desired. On the square headof the screw-bolt g is loosely fitted a bevel-gear wheel, G. On thesquare head of the screw-bolt i is loosely fitted a bevel-gear wheel, 1.A third bevel-gear wheel, H, meshes into both the bevel-gear wheels Gand I. It will be observed that the hevel-gear wheel H controls themeans which confine and liberate both the large shafts G and I.

H is a small shaft standing in the central position between the othertwo. It is peculiarly equipped. Its exterior is adapted to receive acrank or other means for turning it with sufficient force to operate theslight amount of mechanism which is attached. lts inner end is enlargedand fits loosely in a corresponding large central cavity in the wheel E.It is slotted transversely. Theinterior of the wheel H is recessed tomatch the deep slot which extends across the inner end of the shaft H,so that any suitable wings being protruded out from the slot may engagestrongly with the wheel H and cause it to turn, while a sufficientcontraction of the wings within the shaft H will entirely disconnectsuch shaft from the wheel and render the shaft incapable of impartingany motion to the wheel and its important train of connections.

J J are eflicientwingsforthis purpose. They are formed in one with aspring-connection, j, which, when the wings are mounted in the slot,exerts a force tending to contract the wings together. The inner edgesof the wings J J are notched, as shown, to aid in holding the taperingpin K in a strictly central position. The wings J J are further held ina central position by means of a pin, j, extending from the center ofthe springj, which is fitted in a hole in the axial line of the shaft H.The only means of connecting the shaft H with the wheel H, and thus ofaffecting the works of the lock, is by separating or expanding the wingsJ against the gentle force of the spring j. This expansion is effectedunder proper conditions by the insertion of a pointed pin, K, which isthrust outward from the interior of the safe by the working of a lock,M, which may be of any ordinary or suitable character. The pin Kcorresponds to the bolt of the lock.

It stands always in the line of the axis of the shaft H. The pointed endpresented toward the shaft H corresponds to the back end of the boltofthelock. When thelockis unlockeditthrows the pin K outward toward theexterior of the safe, and by acting with its point wedgewise between thewings J J throws them out to engage in the recesses in the interior ofthe wheel H. This causes the shaft H and the wheel H to be engaged.When, on the contrary, the lock is locked, it throws the pin K inwardtoward the interior of the safe and allows the wings J to be drawninward. Thisdisengages the wheel H from the shaft H and, renders itentirely flee from its influence, and consequently renders it impossibleto affect the mechanism at all until the lock is again rcstored to theunlocked condition.

I consider this mechanism desirable and reliable wi-thout furthersafeguards. Persons gaining access to the exterior of the safe may turnthe shaft Hindefinitely, but with no effect on anything in the interiorof the safe until the lock is unlocked. When the unlocking is effectedbya proper key-combination, electrical connection, time-lock, orwhatever may be its mode of operating--then, and not till then, the pinK is thrown forward and the shaft H assumes control through the wheel H.When thus conditioned, by turning the shaft H in one direction thetransverse bolts ,1 and i may be withdrawn from the shafts G and I,after which (the shafts G I being operated in the proper direction andorder) the door is set free and may be turned by the hand. It will beunderstood that on closing .the door these parts should be operatedagain into the proper position before the lock is locked, and that then,after the shafts Grand I are again strongly v secured by theirrespective transverse screwbolts g and i, the lock is again locked,which movement again withdraws the pin K toward the center of the safe,allows the wings J J to be drawn inward by the spring j, and the shaft His forever after inoperative until the lock is again thrown into theunlocked position. But I have provided further safeguards. The twotransverse bolts 9 and i are in line with each other. The pin Ktraverses the space between their ends. These parts are so proportionedthat when the bolts 9 and tare withdrawn from their respectiveengagements with the large shafts G I their ends will lie in closecontact with the pin K. It is only when these bolts are thus fullywithdrawn that the shafts G I can be set at liberty. I provide a crossbar, K, firmly fixed. lts moderate length allows it to be receivedbetween the ends of the shafts g i, but only when the latter are movedapart to their full extent, and therefore are both fully engaged withtheir respective shafts G I. This is the condition which obtains whenthe safe is locked. The movement of the pin K by the lock in assumingthe locked position carries the cross-bar K into the position justdescribed between the ends of the transverse shafts g t and leaves itthere. In this condition, even if some chance force-as, for exam ple,aconsiderable friction between the shaft H and the wheel H-should tendto turn the wheel H, and consequently the wheels G I,and thus withdrawthe transverse boltsg i, the presence of the cross-bar K between theends of the shafts avoids the possibilityof this mo-- tion proceedingbeyond a very small extent. So soon as the shafts g i shall by suchslight force be withdrawn sufficiently to press their ends upon thecross-bar K their further motion is effectuallyarrested until the pin Kanti its attachments are moved by theproper looking motion of the lock.The same cross-bar, K, performs another function. When the pin K and itsattachments are by the unlocking motion thrown outward, causing thepoint of the pin K to properly separate the wings J, and thus-engage theshaft H with the gearwheel H and its connections, the movement bringsthe cross-bar K entirely out of the line of the transverse shafts g andt. Thus conditioned, the working of the gearing draws the shafts g and ttogether until their ends strike the pin K. This movement, whichliberates the respective main shafts G and l, is not in any mannerimpeded by the presence of the cross-bar K because it has moved outofline; but if while the parts are in this unlocked condition any attemptis made to lock the lock the cross-bar K prevents such movement bystriking against the shafts g t and preventing the movement of the pin Kuntil all the parts have been brought to the proper condition for suchlockingthat is to say, the cross-bar K will strike against the shafts gi and prevent the locking movement of the pin K until, first, the doorof the safe has been turned into the proper position; next, the shaftIhas been turned to bring the door forward into tight contact with theinterior of the safe,' care being taken, either by a mark or preferablyby a positive stop, (not shown,) to arrest the turning of this shaft Iin such position that the hole in its side is presented to receive thetransverse shaft 13; next, the shaft G is turned to expand thelockingring D, (care being taken to arrest theturning of this shaft G inthe proper position to allow the "engagement therewith of its transverseshaft 9;) then, finally, the shaft His turned, and by its engagementwith the wheel H and its connections the transverse shafts 92' are movedoutward into full engagement with their respective shafts G I. When allthese movements have been properly effected, and not before, thecross-bar K is free to be moved backward toward the interior of thesafe. Now the lock (not represented) can be operated and the pin K bethrown into the locked position. This cross-bar K therefore performs thedoublefunctionsof,first,insuringthattheparts are in the proper positionbefore the lock can be locked, and, second, and more important, ofinsuring that the cross-bolts cannot by any frictional or other contactbe drawn toward each other until the lock is unlocked.

Modifications may be made without sacrificing all the advantages of theinvention. I propose, when desired, to employ two or more locks, whichshall require to be both operated before the bar-pin K can be movedoutward and the safe opened. With a very strong construction of safe, inwhich I propose mainly to use this mechanism, 1 esteem it more importantto guard against the mischief which may result from an accidental lossof memory of the proper number or a derangement of a look by employingtwo locks which shall be combined, not so as to require both to beunlocked, but, on the contrary, to allow the safe to be opened wheneither one is unlocked.

One of the great advantages of myinvention is the difficulty it imposesto the opening of the safe by violence. So long as the crossshafts gandi are strongly engaged with their main shafts Gt and I it is impossibleto open the safe. The only possible means of removing those bolts gandt' is through the gearwheel H. Nothing but the proper movement of thepin K can give this control. Only the proper operation of the lock orlocks can give 'the proper movement to that pin K. Supposing all theobstacles to be passed, and that violence could be applied to the lockand displace it, this act', instead of making the safe more easilyopened, removes the only means of access. The screw threads on thetransverse bolts gi hold them strongly against any but the proper modeof removal. The movement of the pin K, with its cross-piece K, to theproper extent and in the right direction is essential either to theliberation of the crossbolts g and t to allow them to be withdrawn or tothe connection of the mechanism to cause them to be unscrewed.

It is not essential that the cross-piece K be firmly bolted upon andmade a part of the pin K. It may serve if attached through any reliablemechanism. It can perform all the functions of the cross-bar K it it bea substantial piece capable of exerting a proper mechanical resistance,and shall on the one hand meet the sides of the bolts 9 t' to preventthe pin from being disengaged from the parts unless the bolts 9 z arefully engaged in the shafts G I, and on the other hand shall meet theend of the shafts g i to prevent them from being withdrawn by any forceexcept when the lock is unlocked.

I do not confine the invention to its application to my spherical-safe.

I do not confine myself to the position of the lock M shown in Fig. 1.The lock may be in practice placed close to the door wherever room isavailable, and be made to operate the pin by a-lever; or two locks maybe used connecting with the pin by a cross-bar.

I claim as my improvement in safes 1. In a safe for valuables, anoperating-shaft controlled in position by a revolving threadedcounter-bolt, in combination with the locking and door-openingmechanisms, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In combination with the locking and the door-opening mechanism of asafe, the two bolts 9 and 1, each formed with screw-threads and mountedin a correspondingly-threaded support, and the two operating-shafts Gand 1, arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

3. In combination with the operating-shaft G and the transverselocking-bolt g, the shaft H, loose gear-wheel H, movable wings J, and alock or looks controlling the operation of said wings, as hereinspecified.

4. The shaft H, geat wheel H, wings J, and a lock or looks controllingthe latter, in combination with two transverse locking-bolts, g i, andthe two operating shafts G I, as herein specified.

5. In combination with the locking mechanism of a safe for valuables,the shaft H, gearwheel H, and single springj, connectingthe wings J J,and having a centeringpin, j, all adapted to serve as herein specified.

6. The combination of the shaft H, gearwheel H, wings J J, and means .j,for drawing them inward with the pointed pin K and one or more locksoperating said pin, as herein specified.

7. In combination with the operating-shaft G I, cross-bolts gi, and pinK, the stop K, arranged to perform the double functions of'preventingthe withdrawal of the cross-bolts g 41 until the pin K is properlythrown and of preventing the disengagement ot' the mechanism from theshaft H until the cross-bolts g i are fully inserted, as hereinspecified.

S. In combination with the operating-shaft 5 G, the pin K, and cross-barK, wings J J, shaft H, gear H G l, and cross-shaft 9, combined andarranged as and for the purposes herein specified.

9. The combination, with a principal oper- 4o ating-shaft, of atransverse bolt worked by an independent mechanism, and suitable devicesoperated by a lock for connecting and disconmeeting the latter and thetransverse bolt, substantially as herein specified.

10. The combination of means for engaging the door strongly with thecasing, mechanism for operating the same, a connecting and disconnectingpiece, K, and a lock or looks controlling such disconnecting piece,substan- 5o tially as herein specified.

11. In a safe for valuables, the combination of an independentspindle,mechanism operated thereby to liberate the locking-bolt, and a lock orlocks applied within the safe, controlling 55 the engagement of thespindle with the aforesaid mechanism, substantially as herein specified.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of April,1879, in the pres- 6o ence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM OORLISS.

Witnesses:

JAMES W. CLARKE, CHARLES B. HAWKINS.

